Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Golf is a game of precision, and all golfers want to perform at their best, regardless of ability. Becoming a successful golfer takes years of dedication, commitment and meaningful practice. Many golfers put inefficient time into their games and never improve. Others have the physical ability and are capable of hitting all the shots required, but their mental game hinders their chances for true success. The most competent golfers rely on a combination of top physical and mental performance on the links.Step 1Start at the hole and work backwards. Nearly all successful golfers are great putters. Practice your putting daily, working around the hole from 6 feet and in. Repeat hitting these short putts to ingrain a solid stroke and learn the feeling of holing putt after putt.Step 2Roll balls with your putter back and forth across the green. You don't always have to aim at a hole, but make sure to keep a target in mind. These "feel" drills help greatly with distance control and make you a deadly lag putter.Step 3Grab your wedge and scatter a bucket of practice balls in the rough around the practice green. Next to putting, chipping is the second most important skill set that leads to lower scores. Chip these practice balls as close to the hole as you can, and repeat the process until you feel comfortable.Step 4Seek instruction on the full swing from a low handicap golfer, or even better, a PGA Professional. Pay close attention to the fundamentals of setup -- grip, ball position, posture and club face direction -- while practicing your full swing.Step 5Play as many rounds of golf as possible and learn to get the ball into the hole. This is the most valuable part of your training, because learning on the golf course is much better -- albeit much harder -- than on the practice tee.Step 6Enter local and club tournaments to test your skills against competition. Your local golf course will have information about tournaments in the area for all skill levels.Step 7Refine your skills by seeking more advice from your PGA Professional, low handicap golfers, books, magazines and television shows that offer advice and feedback. Becoming a student of the game can only help in your pursuit of greatness.Step 8Continue your practice regimen daily and augment that with regular on-course play. You should begin to see a drop in scoring average -- in both casual and tournament rounds -- as soon as your first year.Step 9Progress your tournament schedule to include regional and national events when you feel your game is ready. Most golfers feel that true "success" in the sport is defined by your performance in tournament golf at the highest level.